We all may know of comedian and actor Faizon Love from his various works, or perhaps by some of his controversial moments. But many recall Love from his breakthrough role as “Big Worm” in Friday. However, as vital as his character was in the story, he never returned for any of the franchise’s sequels. Faizon Love is now sharing why although he was offered, he never returned.
Born Langston Faizon Santisima, Faizon Love began his work in the entertainment industry at 15. According to the comedian’s interview with The Record, his dedication led him to skip his senior prom to accept a $75 gig. Upon completing high school, Faizon Love immediately hit the road. He packed up, left San Diego, and moved to New York City, Atlanta, and Detroit. Eventually, Love happened upon Los Angeles after accepting an invitation from a friend.
Once arriving in Los Angeles, Faizon Love got his first film credit. He did voiceover work in the film Bebe’s Kids in 1992 after original actor Robin Harris passed away before the film’s completion. Following this, Love was cast in a minor role in Robert Townsend’s 1993 superhero comedy film, The Meteor Man. But things would start to escalate in his career in 1995 when a “day of the week” would change his life.
Soon mainstream audiences would get to know who Faizon Love was thanks to his role as “Big Worm” in Friday. Big Worm was the relentless, ruthless drug dealer that threatened to take Smokey and Craig’s lives if they didn’t deliver an amount of money to him by the end of the day. Faizon Love spoke with Vlad TV on how he got the part. The comedian told DJ Vlad that he “hates auditioning.” However, despite his disdain for the process, he showed up to the auditions embodying the character.”I had to be Big Worm in the room,” said Love. His audition led the casting directors to laugh and warmly. According to Faizon Love, the role was his by the time he got home.
Five years after the initial film took a grip on audiences, the sequel, Next Friday, was released in 2000. Following that would be the third addition to the franchise, Friday After Next, in 2002. But there were many differences in those films from the original. For one, Chris Tucker was no longer playing the character of “Smokey.” In addition to more pivotal characters from the original being missing and newer characters, Big Worm was not a part of the cast in the sequels. According to an interview that Faizon did with Comedy Hype, his reasons for not coming back to the movie may have had to do with finances. The star of The Parent Hood shared that he received $2,500 for his portrayal of Big Worm.
Faizon Love stated some of the perks that he got from that money. He said he “got to say he’s working” and could “pay his rent.” In addition, the comedian gushed that he wasn’t “out on the street.” The comedian assured that his decision to do the role was not motivated by the payment. Faizon Love love highlights that although many consider Big Worm to be an “iconic character,” that wasn’t the case when they did it. He also assures us that he’s far from bitter about his payment for the film.
Love then shares that he was approached to reprise his role in Next Friday. At first, he says he was interested in doing the movie. But he declined once he was told they were only willing to offer him a “double scale,” which would amount to $5K. However, Faizon Love said that he would do another film for Ice Cube “for free” if asked. “I would have to do it on GP,” the comedian said, adding that Big Worm is what put him on the map.
Things didn’t slow down for Faizon Love following his departure from Friday. In fact, he continued to maintain a solid career in Hollywood. Love states that he received a call “the day after saying no” to Next Friday to appear in the Warner Bros. film The Replacements. In the movie, he stars as “Jamal Abdul Jackson” and claims to have been paid $100K. Love also had roles in The Players Club, The Fighting Temptations alongside Beyonce and Cuba Gooding Jr., and Couples Retreat, among others. On television, he had a starring role in the 90s sitcom The Parent ‘Hood, as well as other roles in Real Husbands of Hollywood, The Big House, and The New Edition Story.
